


Without Reservations

by Karios



Category: Take Two (TV 2018)
Genre: Banter, Coda, Episode s01e12: It Takes a Thief, Flirting, Food, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-29 15:04:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17205626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karios/pseuds/Karios
Summary: After the arrest of Marcus Cutler, Sam and Eddie thank Melissa over dinner.Or an AU twist on the ending of It Takes a Thief.





	Without Reservations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [in48frames](https://archiveofourown.org/users/in48frames/gifts).



> All of my thanks to Morbane who believed I could write this quickly and then was there to beta and ensure I could. Also for the best title ever.
> 
> Happy Yuletide in48frames!

Sam drew back from the kiss, her pupils blown wide, her mouth dry, her heart hammering. Eddie’s brows were drawn tight, which made a crop of adorable wrinkles spring up on his forehead. Sam pulled her hands back from his waist. “Be right back,” she said softly, as though talking at more than a whisper might break the spell.

Eddie’s confusion only grew as Sam turned on her tall heels and made her way to the car waiting for her, only to dismiss it and return to Eddie’s side.

“What now?” he asked, as Sam took him by the arm, leading him toward the other waiting car.

“We take Melissa to dinner,” Sam replied. For Sam, this was obvious, but judging by the way Eddie nearly hit his head on the roof on his way into the car, this was not what he'd expected.

Eddie recovered and slid into the seat. “You want to take Melissa to dinner?” 

“Yes. No.” Both answers sounded like a question. “Look, we owe her. Without Melissa scoping out that warehouse we might still be in jail, Paul wouldn't haven't gotten the Kaminsky back, and Marcus Cutler would have gotten away with it.”

Eddie countered with, “We probably wouldn't have finished this one without Zeus either.”

“Well, yes, but you're not attracted to Zeus.”

Eddie opened his mouth.

“Don't deny it. Science proved it to us,” she teased.

Eddie laughed. “That wasn't science.” He gave the driver the address for the restaurant anyway, knowing he wouldn't win this one, and not particularly wanting to. 

“Oooh. Is that the French-Thai fusion place? I approve.”

“I'll make sure to run all my future dates by you.”

“You should,” Sam said, before she could stop herself. “I didn't, I mean-”

“Hey, shouldn't you call Troy?” Eddie interrupted.

“Oh, right, yes.” She pulled out her phone, dialed, and stopped just short of pressing the call button. “Try not to listen.”

Difficult request that, inches from her in a car, but Eddie didn't hear much. His brain was still fully focused on that kiss. He did, however, register the disappointment on Sam's face as she disconnected.

“You don't have to do this,” he reminded her. 

“Eddie, stop.” And before he knew what was happening, her mouth was back on his. The kiss was shorter than the one they'd shared in the street but even more searing.

“Troy was a first date. A good date, but,” she bit the inside of her lip. “I'm doing something more important: backing up my partner.”

“Still convinced she's dangerous?” His tone was light.

Sam’s tone was decidedly not. “Maybe, or maybe I'm interested.” 

Eddie swallowed down the “in who?” working his way up his throat, and snuggled closer to Sam.

The combination of the kiss and closeness left Eddie with a slow burning fire in his stomach that hadn't dissipated by the time they reached the restaurant. Sam had a similarly pleasant tingle left on her lips.

The restaurant had a pair of torches flanking the front entrance, and a craggy stone facade. Stepping through the frosted glass doors, they were greeted by soothing blue-green walls, an array of colorful artwork, and the sight of Melissa seated at a table already. Menu in one hand, glass of wine in the other, clad in a deep purple dress, looking like something straight out of a catalogue or calendar.

“Mind making this a table for three, Melissa?” Eddie asked.

Melissa looked up and fixed them both with a hungry look. “You brought Sam!” Her eyes crinkled. “No, wait, you brought _him_.” Melissa wet her lips. “Still love those eyes, Sam.”

The host pulled up a third chair and handed Eddie and Sam each a menu. Their server appeared a moment later. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”

“Basil-infused iced tea,” said Sam.

“The wine's good,” Melissa put in.

“Sparkling water, thanks.”

“Don't drink?” Melissa asked Sam.

“In recovery.”

“Supporting Sam.”

Melissa nodded and filed that information away for later.

When their drinks arrived, they ordered jointly from the tasting menu: red curry quinoa cakes, scallops in a lemongrass-infused beurre blanc sauce, salmon tartar, and a round of chicken coconut potato soup. 

Melissa put in for the latter two and Sam selected the former. Eddie was happy to let Melissa and Sam pick. Unlike the two of them, Eddie had never shared anything more complicated than pizza. “How do you even share soup?” he asked once the waiter had left.

“Carefully,” Sam demonstrated by stealing his spoon and filling it with some of her iced tea, then cupped her free hand under it.

“Ta-da,” she deadpanned. “Didn't you ever, I don't know, make spaghetti for Christine?”

“It’s not that kind of arrangement.”

“Maybe we should make him practice,” Melissa suggested.

Sam laughed. “Not a bad idea. I don't want a lap full of food for later.”

Eddie gave Sam one of his sincere half-smiles. “You’ll just have to show me more. I've always learned best by watching.”

“I know a few things I’d be happy to have you watch,” Melissa retorted.

“Don't encourage him,” chided Sam in spite of her smile. “That's a terrible line.”

“So declares the woman who said ‘I am greedy for justice.’”

“I didn't write that line! Besides, it saved both our lives.”

“Oooh.” Melissa leaned forward in interest. “Is there a story there?”

Sam nodded. “It all started with an offer...” She and Eddie went on to take turns telling her about that first case and beyond, ultimately interrupted by the arrival of their meal.

Melissa cut a quinoa cake in half, offering half to Eddie first and then the remainder to Sam. Sam returned the favor by delicately scraping up spoonfuls of tartare, perfectly capped with ginger or dabbed with soy. Eddie managed to give Melissa a spoonful of soup.

“Congratulations,” she smirked, “you're now a better date or one step closer to parenting a toddler.”

“Very funny,” he grumbled. 

Conversation ebbed after that down to comments that facilitated trading dishes back and forth as well as compliments for the food. Everything was delicious, a blend of tastes and textures.

“You two chose the right dishes,” Eddie said, as the first of their plates became empty.

Sam shrugged. “I like lemongrass.”

Melissa tipped her head to one side. “I try to be discerning in everything I do. Food is just another form of art.”

As the pace of eating slowed down, their fingers lingered on each other's now as they accepted plates from one another. They talked more, too.

Melissa held both of their gazes and two distinct conversations. With Eddie, she discussed chasing marks.

“Clients,” he corrected. “For me, they're clients.”

“It's all the same, isn't it?” Melissa carded her fingers through her own hair, flipping a few strands back. “The thrill of the hunt.”

Meanwhile, Melissa engaged Sam about several of the paintings they could see from their seats, mostly idle observations. Melissa pointed out a modern work. “I love that one, such jagged brushstrokes, like his passion just burst forth onto the canvas. Uncontrolled, unbridled passion.” Sam was not sure if it was Melissa's words or the slight purr to her voice that had Sam squeezing her thighs together.

It was emboldening, and in the face of such brazen interest they fell into flirting back, not just with Melissa, but with each other.

“She's right about your eyes,” said Eddie, offering Sam a scallop.

Sam leaned over, sliding it off the fork with her teeth. When she swallowed, Eddie's gaze dropped to watch the flutter of her throat.

“She's right about you too,” agreed Sam, her gaze roaming.

The three of them ended up ordering dessert: a green tea crepe cake that was both refreshing and melted on their tongues. Melissa was enjoying the fancy dessert and good wine on Eddie's dime, and watching Sam and Eddie increasingly zone in on each other.

Sam and Eddie's partnership was becoming a _partnership_. It had somehow progressed beyond harmless fun into something too new, too fragile for Melissa to want to get involved in. 

That meant it was time for her to make her exit. Melissa cleared her throat and stood up, setting aside her empty plate and glass. “This has been fun, and consider your gratitude noted, but I'm going to head out.”

Eddie shook himself out of his daze. “Wait, what?”

“I have a code,” Melissa said as she had days earlier when she'd refused their job offer, “and part of it includes not screwing up anything for anyone just getting started. That said, should you two ever get bored and want to spice things up....”

Melissa slipped two fingers down the front of her dress and produced two business cards between her fingers. She set them face down on the tabletop, pushing them toward Eddie and Sam under a single manicured fingernail. “My number. And of course you know where I live, for now.” Melissa gave each of them a head tousel. “Have fun, you two.” She bid them “a very _good_ night” and then sashayed her way out of the restaurant.

Eddie and Sam stared in her wake, watching her until she disappeared through the glass doors and out into the street.

“We're definitely calling her, right?” checked Sam as she turned back to Eddie.

“Uh huh. Definitely. Just not tonight,” he said before all but launching himself at Sam. His mouth crashed against hers, warm and insistent, their lips tasted faintly of sugar and springtime. Sam's hands raked briefly through his hair and ghosted down his sides, where one hand came to rest in his lap, inching its way up one thigh.

Eddie shot Sam an approving smile, and set one of his hands over hers to halt her progress, while he flagged down their server. 

“We're gonna need the check.”


End file.
